Heel-loading machine



(No Model.) I 4 SheetsrSheet 1. E. B. ALLEN. HEEL LOADING MACHINE.

Patented Aug .24, 1886.

- nuns PhoioLimogmphar. Washinglnm n. c.

(No Model.)

wZnea-ses.

, 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. B. ALLEN.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet .3.

E. B. ALLEN.

HEEL LOADING MAGHINB. No. 348,091. Patented Aug. 24, 1886.

Mugs/sea M6740 (Ni) Model.)

' B. B. ALLEN.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

' HEEL LOADING MAGHI NE. 7 No. 348,091. Patented Aug. 24, 1886.

4 7 UUUUUUUHUUM wi rz/kis'tasz I 4,4 Imdfl alder 00 6 FY MWZ ngnphnr.Washmgiulx o. c

Portland, county of Cumberland, and State of NITED ST TES T ATEENTFries.

EDXVARD B. ALLEN, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES \V. BROOKS,

TRUSTEE, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEEL-LOADING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,091, dated August24,1886.

Application filed October 7, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. ALLEN, of

Maine, have invented an Improvement in Heel-Loading Mechanisms, of whichthe follow ing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

This invention has for its object the production of an organized machineby which to antomatically deliver into pricked holes of heel or otherblanks the nails which are put into the different lifts of the said heelor other blanks.

In accordance with myinvention the tapering nails, withoutprojectingheads, buthaving one end of greater diameter than the other, theend ofgreatest diameter being denominated the head, are thrown upon a tiltingtable having, preferably, a series of grooves, each groove havingcooperating with it certai n cross-slides containing slots through whichthe nails may pass into a conductor, the lower end of each conductorbeing in communication with anail-selecting device, herein shown asprovided with a series of pockets, and as having a movable sideand aseparable bottom plate provided with holes, onefor each pocket, themovable side also having slots at intervals, movement of the side plateplacing the slots thereof opposite the pockets, in order that the nailsdropped into the latter with their larger end downward may tip over intoa hopper, from which latter extends a series of tubes to conduct thenails from the hopper into the loading-die, the latter having as manyholes as there are nail-holes in the blank to be filled or loaded. Thecross-slides of the tilting table are placed one upon the otherimmediately below the slots in the grooves of the table, and the saidslides are moved one upon the other by suitable levers, so that a nailcaught in a pocket at the end of one of the grooves of the table is, bya movement of the uppermost slide, permitted to drop into a slottherein, the nail falling upon the upper side of the undermost slide,and thereafter, bya movement of the under slide, the nail is permittedto drop into one of its slots, return movement of the under slidepermitting the nail to drop from lowest position.

its slot into one of the slots of the chute. The

Serial No. 179,220. (No model.)

perforated heelblanks to be loaded with nails will be placed insuccession upon followers made vertically movable in an intermittinglyrotating bed, each follower being supported somewhat above the bed whenthe nails are being driven into the holes in the blank, the followerbeing so elevated by means of a lifting device, which is held up byaspring. As the nails are driven, the stress of the spring is overcomejust before the nails are fully driven, and the follower-lifting devicedescends until a projection or pin of a locking device engages ashoulder on the shank of the followerlifting device, thus locking thelatter in its In this condition of the parts the table is moved onestep, the ends of the nails projecting above the heel-blank are movedout from under the die, and the stem of the follower is removed from thecam-shaped hub of the follower-lifting device, and there after, andbefore the stem of the next follower arrives in position to meet thefollower-lifting device, the locking device is disengaged from the shankof the follower-lifting device, permitting it to rise in position to actupon and lift the next follower in succession. The

tilting table and the plunger containing the driver-carrying plate anddrivers are operated by the same eccentric and strap.

My invention in heelloading mechanism consists in a loading-die providedwith communicating nail and driver passages, and a series of driversadapted to open and close the nail-passages, as will be described; also,in a nail-loading die provided with communicating nail and driverpassages and aseries of tubes, combined with a selecting device and withnail-passages in communication with the tubes leading to the nailloadingdie; also, in the combination, with a hopper, of a nail-selecting devicehaving a movable side plate and separable bottom plate, to permit nailsentering the selecting device with their heads foremost to be overturnedand those with their points foremost to be. dropped through the bottomplate; also, in a tilting table grooved for the reception of nails andprovided with pockets, and one or more cooperating crossslides havingslots or recesses, combined with means for operating the saidcross-slides; also, in a tilting table grooved for the reception of ICCnails and provided with pockets and with one or more slottedcross-slides, combined with a chute and with a nail-selecting deviceto'direct the nails points foremost into the recesses,

' parts below the platform of the frame-work being partially broken out.Fig. 3 is .an under side view, partially broken out, of the tiltingtable, showing its cross-slides and parts to operate them. Fig. 4 is asectional detail in the line at m, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional detailof the nail-receiver in the line 4v m, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a sectionaldetail of the parts below the dotted line a." at, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is adetail of the device for locking the rotating table, and Fig. 8 a detailshowing the side plate of the selecting device.

Referring to the drawings, the frame-work A, of suitable shape tocontain the working parts, has aplatform, A. The frame-work, at oneside, has fixed to it a stud, upon which is loosely mounted the smallpinion A and its connected belt-pulley A the said pinion engaging anddriving atoothed gear, A, mounted loosely upon the main shaft A of themachine, the said shaft supported in suitable bearings, A, havingsplined upon it, outside the frame-work and next to the said toothedgear A, a friction-disk, A, of usual construction, which, by a lever, A,may be made to engage a conical recess of the gear A whenever it isdesired to rotate the main shaft and operate the machine. The main shafthas fixed to it cams B O D E and an eccentric, F. The eccentric F isembraced by an eccentric strap and link, F, connected by the pin F" withthe plunger F, having at its side suitable tapering gibs, which arefitted to slide in guideways F. The plunger F", extended upward, has apin, F which enters a slot (see Fig. 2) in the ear F of the tiltingtable G, having two hubs, aa, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) which receive throughthem a hollow shaft, a, the ends of which constitute journals for thetilting table, the said shaft having its bearings in the frame-work A.The plunger F at itslower end is provided with a dovetailed groove (seeFig. 1) to receive a dovetailed projection of the driver-carrying platea, the said plate having attached to it a series of drivers, d, of usualconstruction, the plate being held in place by a set-screw, a, the lowerends of the said drivers, when the plunger is elevated, standing inholes d of the loadingdie d, supoemsg, projecting from an upright, A",rising e platform A. The grooves d in the loading-die d are intersectedby nail-receiving grooves d, (see Fig. 1,) the said nail-receivinggrooves being in communication with terminal tubes (1 connected with theremovable plate d adjustably attached by screws d, or otherwise, to thesupporting-plate (i suspended, as herein shown, by rods d from theguideways F. The supporting-plate d has in communication with it tubesd, which practically form prolongations of the terminal tubes (1 thetubes d being in communication with the hopper e.

By connecting the terminal tubes with the plate, as described, theloading of heels of different sizes is facilitated, as each loadingdie(1 will have the terminal tubes fixed to it, and the upper ends of theterminal tubes will have more or less spread or incline to bring theminto proper working position with relation to the tubes d, the latterbeing in number to correspond with the number of nails to be deliveredinto the largest heel.

The tilting table G (shown in longitudinal section in Fig. 2 and incross-section in Fig. 4) is provided with a series of longitudinalgrooves, andat the lower end of each of the said grooves there is arecess or pocket, 2, into which is caught a nail as the table is tilt edabout its center. Below this series of pockets 2 are two cross-slides, c0, each provided with a series of slots, as shown at 3 4, the said slotsbeing interposed between the pockets 2 and the space 5 (seeFig. 5) inthe .chute f. The slide a is reciprocated by the lever c, pivoted at 0,one end of the lever being extended through a slot in the hollow shaft(1, where it is acted upon by a sliding rod, 0", and by a spring, 0 Theslide 0' has a pin at its under side, which is engaged by a lever, 0pivoted at c, the long end of the said lever also entering a slot in thehollow shaft a, and being acted upon byaslide-rod, 0 and by a spring,0'".

The frame-work Ahas brackets A A which support the levers 0 0 operated,respectively, by the cams B C, which are side cams, the upper ends ofthe said levers being pivoted, respeclively, to the sliding carriages c"0:, provided, respectively, with lugs c 0, which, in the movement of thecarriages toward the center of the tilting table, act upon the rods 0*and c and operate the levers c c and their attached slotted cross-slidesc a, they being operated in the proper times and in such direction withrelation each to the other and to the pockets 2 and the openings 5 inthe chute f, to enable a nail deposited in the' pockets 2 to be droppedtherefrom into the recesses 3 in the cross slide a, and next into therecesses 4 in the cross-slide c, and then, by a longitudinal inovementofthe latter cross-slide, a nail let in its recess 4 will drop into one ofthe openings 5 below it, and descending through the said opening willenter into a recess in the selecting device h,the said selecting devicehaving a recess to correspond with each space 5 in the chute f. Theselecting device h has a movable side plate, It, provided (see Fig. 5)with slots 6, the side plate normally standing with its slotsin suchposition as to close the passage-ways or recesses in the selectingdevice from the passages 7 in the hopper e, the passages 7 correspondingin number with the passages 55. The selecting device has a bottom plate,It h provided with a series of holes, 8, and divided longitudinally intotwo pieces, the line of division being substantially at the centers ofthe holes, (see Fig. 5,) the part if of the bottom plate being mademovable laterally away from the part it by means of the cam D, groovedat its side and receiving the rollerstud h of the arm 7?, fitted toslide in the guideway It. The movable sideplate, h, is connected at oneend, as shown in Fig. 5, with a lever, h, pivoted at it and operated bya camhub, h fast on the shaftA The nails, dropped from the cross-slidesof the tilting table through the passages 5 and into the recesses in theselecting device It. enter the said re cesses, some of them with thesmall ends or points leading, others having their large or head endleading. If the point ends lead, the said points enter the recess 8, andstand therein until the movable part 7L3 of the bottom plate is moved inthe direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, which permits the nails so freed toenter, point first, the lower portion of the recess 7 in the hopper andthence in the tubes at The nails which enter the recesses of theselecting device with their large ends or heads foremost stand uprightin said recesses until the movable side plate, h, is moved toward theleft in Fig. 5 far enough to place the slots 6 in line with the space 7,when, owing to the inclined position of the selecting device it, thesaid nails are tipped out and over into the space 7, and therefromentering the tubes d. In this way all the nails are made to enter thetubes d point first, and are delivered from the tubes into the terminaltubes b and load the die d point first.

The nails are dropped into each tube while the drivers are down in thespaces (1 below the grooves d, and the drivers support the points of thenails until the drivers are elevated, as in Fig. 1, when each nail dropsimmediately into the space (2 below the drivers, it being supposed thata pricked heel or other blank to be loaded is in place below and incontact with the lower end of the loading-die d". The tilting table willhave enough nails thrown upon it to partially or nearly fill thegrooves.

The table has arranged below it a hammer composed of a head, i, on arod, 1", of a hub, t", placed loosely on the hollow shaft a, one end ofa spring, 2', being connected with the said hub and with the lug a, thesaidspring normally acting to throw the hammer against the table, thehub having a second arm, 1, which, at each descent of that end of thetable carrying the cross-slides, strikes against the projecting arm iattached to the carriage 0, before referred to, the inward movement ofthe said carriage, in actuating the cross-slides o, causing the arm i topass beyond and release the arm i, permitting the spring to actuate thehammer, causing the latter to strike the table G.

The lower end of the inclined table is provided with a gage-bar, m,connected loosely with a screw, m, extended through a threaded lug, mfast to one end of the table, the adj ustment of the said gage-barshortening the pockets 2, to adapt them to nails of different length.

The cam E has a groove at one side, as shown in Fig. 2,which receivesthe roll or other stud, E at the upper end of the lever E having itspivot at E on the upright A, before referred to, the lower end of thesaid lever being made to engage, as herein shown, the roller or otherstud, E on the slide-bar E, adapted to slide in guideways E attached tothe under side of the platform A by suitable bolts, on, the slidebar Ehaving connected. with it the linkE pivoted to the lever m, keyed upon ashaft, on, thus rotating the said shaft intermittingly. The shaft at hasalso keyed upon it a hub, m of the table at", the said hub entering ahole in the platform A. This table and hub are bored vertically toreceive the shanks a of the followers it, provided with guideprojections it, to position upon the followers the pricked blanks whichare to be filled wit-h nails. At taehed to the floor underneath theplatform A is a stand, 0, in which is placed the shank 0 of thefollower-lifting device 0 it having an inclined or camshaped head, theshank being cut away to extend through a spiral spring, 0 and havingattached to it a screwrod, 0, provided with a head. The shank 0 has aprojection, 10, and below it an inclined notch, in which extends afinger, 12, of the locking device 13, made as alever, pivoted at 14, theupper end of the lever extended above the top of the follower-liftingdevice being held pressed toward the latter by a spring, 15.

The hub m at its under side, is provided with a series of tappets, m(Shown by dotted lines, Fig. 6, and by full lines, Figs. 1 and 2.) Thespring 0 acts normally to lift thefollower lifting device, so that inthe rotation of the table at, as the lower end of the shank a of eachfollower, provided wit-h a pricked blank, arrives at or reaches theinclined head of the follower-lifting device, the latter acts to liftthe plunger, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein I have shown by dotted lines apricked blank into which the nails are to beloaded. In this conditionofthe follower the plunger descends, causing the drivers to drive thenails from the nail-loading die into the pricked holes in the blank, butjust before the nails are fully inserted into the holes in the saidblank, the pressure exerted on the follower is sufficient to overcomethe strength of the spring-0 and depress the follower. Depression of thefollower causes the inclined surface thereof to act upon the finger l2ofthe locking device and turn the upperend of the said device, so thatthe finger catches above the shoulder 10 on the shank o, the lockingdevice thereafter serving to hold thefollower-lifting device down untilafter such time, in

IIO

the rotation of the table m, the projecting ends of the nails pass thelower end of the loadingdie,which doue,the tappets m strike the upperend ofthe locking device, moving it and releasing the follower-liftingdevice, permitting it to rise in position to lift the next follower insuccession.

The table at at its periphery is provided with teeth 20, one for eachfollower, and while the nails are being inserted into pricked heelblanksa locking device, composed of a slide, 1;, having a notch (see Fig. 7)at its front end, and laid upon the platform A, and actuated by aspring, 1), is made to engage one of the said teeth, the table lockingdevice being thrown back at the proper time by a projec tion, 1)",(shown by dotted lines, Fig. 2,) attached to the upper side of theslide-bar E.

I claim- 1. In a machine for loading prieked blanks for heels, &c., theloading-die provided with passages (1, having communicatingnail-passages d,a series of reciprocating drivers adapted to stop theopen lower ends of the nail-passages when the drivers are thrust downinto the die and to uncover the nailpassages when the drivers areelevated, two series of converging tubes, d d', to conduct nails intothe said nail-passages, combined with a selecting device, substantiallyas described, to assort and insn re the entrance, points foremost, ofthe nails into the said tubes, substantially as set forth.

2. The nail-loading die provided with passages dd and the tubes (1,combined with the tubes d", means, substantially as described, toconnect them, and with a hopper provided with nail-passages incommunication with the tubes d, substantially as described.

3. The hopper provided with passages 7, combined with a nail-selectingdevice having a movable side plate and a separable bottom plateoperating, substantially as described, to permit nails entering theselecting device with their heads foremost to be overturned and thosewith their points foremost to be dropped through the bottom plate,substantially as described.

4. The tilting table G, grooved at its upper side and provided withpockets 2, in which the nails are caught and laid horizontally, and oneor more cross-slides located below the said pockets and having slots,the unslotted parts of the uppermost slide supporting the nails whilethey lie in the said pockets, combined with a chute having a series ofslots or passages, 5, to receive the said nails from the saidcrossslides, substantially as described.

5. The tilting table G, grooved at its upper side and provided withpockets 2, for the re ception of the nails horizontally, and one or morecross slides having slots, the unslotted parts of the uppermostcross-slide supporting the nails while they lie in the said pockets, anda chute having a series of slots or passages, 5, to receive the nailsfrom the said cross-slides, combined with a nail-selecting device andwith a hopper to lead the nails into the tube 11" point foremost, as setforth. a

6. The main shaft A its eccentric and eccentric strap, and the plunger,its connected driver carrier A drivers, and nail loading die, combinedwith the tilting table, substantially as described. 7

7. In a machine for loading blanks forheels, &c., the tilting table, itsslotted cross-slides c c, the levers c 0 and means, substantially asdescribed, to operate them.

8. The tilting table, the shaft a, and hammer mounted loosely thereon,combined with the projection i and spring 1 to operate substantially asdescribed.

9. The intermittingly movable table, the series of plungers carriedthereby, and plungerlifting device to act upon and lift the saidplungers in succession, combined with a locking device to hold down theplunger lifting device while the loaded heel blank is being moved fromunder the loading die, substantially as described.-

10. The loading-die, the drivers, and tubes d, combined with theintermit-tingly-rotating table, the series of followers carried thereby,and with afollower-lifting device, substantially as specified, to actupon and raise the said followers to place the blanks against the underside of a nail-loading die, substantially as described.

11. In a heel-loading machine, the intermittingly-rotating bed and theseries of followers carried thereby and provided withregisteringprojections n", combined with a loading die and with alifting device, substantially as described, to raise the said followersin succession to place the blanks against the under side of the saidloading-die, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD B. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, F. CUTTER.

